Photography Tips

Cameras:

Before you can run out and take pictures you first have to have something to take them with - a camera! Which one should you get? That depends on what type of photography you're interested in and how much time and money you're willing to invest. Anyone can take acceptable pictures with a simple disposable camera that has little more than a lens and a place to hold the film, but that's not enough if you're interested in more than an occasional snapshot. Should you get a 35mm camera, Film or Digital? Point & Shoot or SLR? Or should you just skip it all and use your phone? So many choices! Below are some simple guidelines which should help you choose the right camera and take better pictures - and maybe start you on your way to a very rewarding hobby or career.

35mm:

Although not in quite as much demand anymore, thanks to digital cameras, many people still prefer 35mm cameras and film and for some very good reasons. It’s a very versatile format - not too big, but big enough to get good enlargements from and there is a wide variety of film, lenses and accessories available for cameras in this format. 35mm cameras have been used by some of the greatest photographers in the business, in every field from photojournalism to wedding photography, because of the quality and ease of use of both the film and the equipment. It can take some time to master the equipment, but the results are worth the effort. Modern 35mm SLRs usually have fully automatic modes and auto focus lenses, so they can be used like a point & shoot until you get used to them. Although it may be tempting, try not to rely on your camera’s brain too much - your brain is the only one that you really need.

Digital:

As the prices of digital cameras come down, their image quality is going up. There are many digital cameras available which will produce good snapshots without breaking your bank account, but unless you plan to leave the photographs on your computer you’ll also need to find a good lab that can make prints from your digital media or buy a good color printer and photo-quality paper if you want to give Aunt Ida something to put in a frame. Digital cameras are beginning to render film cameras obsolete, but the point is to use what you're most comfortable with and what gives you the best results, so if you're happy with film and don't mind the extra expense then that's what you should use.

Point & Shoot:

As the name implies, P&S cameras (both film and digital) are designed to be easy to operate. The better ones have a built-in automatic flash, motor drive, an auto focus zoom lens and some customizable features, such as being able to override the flash. Focus Free cameras are generally much less expensive than other types of P&S cameras because they rely on a small aperture and a pre-set lens to ensure that everything from a certain distance to infinity is in focus instead of actually focusing the image. Unfortunately, to get the best results with this type of camera a faster film and/or bright sunlight is needed. If you are on a very tight budget a focus free P&S will be fine, but an auto focus model would be a better buy. Avoid any P&S that doesn't have a flash - otherwise, for snapshots, birthdays and vacations any name-brand point & shoot will be fine. With digitals, stay away from the cheaper models that have only a digital zoom instead of an optical zoom.

SLR:

SLR stands for Single Lens Reflex, meaning that focusing and composing an image is done through the same lens that takes the picture, making it more likely that you'll get exactly what you want in your photographs. There are SLR cameras available for 35mm, digital and even medium format - whichever is best for you. Almost all have interchangeable lenses, use external flashes and some even have fully automatic modes so you can use them almost like a point & shoot camera without sacrificing your creative freedom.

Cell Phones & Tablets:

Most modern cell phones have some type of camera, but their quality is usually lacking. Even inexpensive digital cameras usually have 5MP+ sensors, a flash and usually a zoom lens, but with a cell phone you're lucky to get a 2-3.2MP camera with no flash and a digital zoom (oh, the humanity!) unless you're willing to fork over a lot of money and sign up for a higher monthly data plan.  Two examples of feature phones with cameras are:  LG Octane and Casio G'zOne Ravine.  Both have 3.2MP cameras with flash and neither require a data plan. There are better camera phones in that category, but most are limited to certain wireless carriers, otherwise for higher quality cameras virtually the only choices are smartphones. In this category, two of the best are the HTC Droid Incredible 2 and the Apple iPhone, but these are by no means the only good choices.

Tablet computers, such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab, Motorola Xoom and the Apple iPad 2, often have cameras but would be unwieldy for more than casual photos and are best used for viewing and perhaps editing your images...but they would be better than nothing and a tablet in your hand beats a DSLR at home any day!

Film:

It is written that Film is Evil, but if you still haven't switched to digital you should know that the type of film you use can mean the difference between perfectly capturing a special moment or losing it forever. Almost any film will do for 4x6 snapshots taken under ideal conditions, but what about bigger enlargements or less-than-ideal conditions? Many people never change the kind of film they use and prefer to let the camera do all their thinking for them...then they wonder why their pictures don't always turn out well. A little knowledge about film will help you get the shots that others may miss and have people asking you for photographic tips!

ISO speed and grain:

ISO for both digital and film is rated in "speeds" usually ranging from 50 to 3200; lower speeds require more light to take a photograph and are considered "slower" than higher, or "faster", speeds. No, you won't get a ticket for using the fastest film or camera setting, so why not use it all the time? Because the colors at faster speeds aren't as saturated and vibrant as they would be at a slower speed, and the grain (tiny particles visible in images which can produce an almost sandy, textured pattern in prints) is coarser, making many images unsuitable for enlargement. Many low light situations require faster speeds (800-3200), so don't hesitate to use it when necessary. A medium speed (200-400) is ideal for most point & shoot photography since the colors will be brighter and the grain less noticeable, yet it should still be fast enough to overcome a P&S camera's smaller aperture. For the best grain and color and to get the biggest enlargements, lower speeds (50-100) are required. Read your camera's manual carefully to see what speeds it can use, because some P&S cameras will only accept 100-400, and even some SLRs won't go beyond 1600.

Taking Better Pictures

The Basics:

The first thing you should do when you buy a new camera is READ THE MANUAL! Even if you're fairly experienced this will let you know how to properly use the features that are unique to your camera and help you avoid missing important shots. Memorize the basic controls so that you don't have to pull out the manual every time you want to take a picture. Check to be certain that the film/memory card is loaded properly and that you have fresh batteries in your camera and carry extras of both. It's a good idea to have a camera bag to hold everything, and make sure that you have some kind of lens cleaning kit, too.
When taking a photograph, frame your subject carefully; try zooming in or physically moving closer to draw attention to the subject and avoid cluttering up the photograph with telephone poles or other distractions. Watch for things like tree limbs "growing" out of the subject's head.
Always mount your camera on a tripod when using a longer lens or taking timed photos.
For flash photography, stay within the range of your camera's flash.
Never be afraid to take several pictures of an interesting subject - a different angle or pose might make a better photograph. It's also important to get be on the same level as most subjects - for instance, a picture taken from an adult's perspective looking down on a child is not as pleasing as one taken on the child's level.
Posed photographs are fine, but with many subjects, particularly children and animals, you'll get better pictures by simply watching the action through the camera's viewfinder until the moment is right.
One other, very often overlooked technique is using vertical composition. Many people always hold their camera horizontally regardless of the subject, and this often leaves dead space on either side of the subject. A better idea is to turn the camera on its side for a vertical photograph of a vertical subject, making a more flattering, pleasing image.

Beyond The Basics:

Photography can be an art form with the right attention to detail. Once you've mastered the basics of camera operation and film selection you should start trying to perfect your talents and learn from your mistakes. If you have a picture that turned out well, study it to find out what makes it "work". Read books on photography, visit art museums and study the techniques of artists that you like...the next time you see an eye-catching ad or photograph in a magazine take a good look at it - What was it that first struck you? Where is the subject positioned? What is the photographer trying to say, and how did he accomplish this? How did the photographer use light in the image? What, if anything, would you have done differently?

Simple things, like lighting and composition, can create dramatic images from an otherwise dull subject. One technique used by professional photographers is the "Rule of Thirds". On the rectangle below there are four lines drawn to separate the area into three vertical and three horizontal sections; by placing your subject on the point where any of these lines intersect you will make the photograph more interesting and appealing to the eye.

Properly cropping an image can also enhance your photographs.  The flowers in the left image are barely noticeable and the street and trash detract from the image; properly cropped, the flowers stand out and look more appealing. These photos also demonstrate  the importance of having your camera with you at all times and being prepared for any good subjects that come your way.

             

Another way to draw attention to your subject and make a photograph more dramatic is the proper use of depth-of-field. Using a longer lens on an SLR and/or a wider aperture to focus on your subject while blurring the background can make a world of difference to make both your subject and your talents stand out.

             

If you're using a P&S that doesn't have manual controls the same effect can be achieved by using it zoomed all the way out and using the Portrait  () setting.

Editing your photos:

Most images will require some sort of editing, resizing or red-eye removal before they're ready to show, print or upload, and to do that you'll need the right software. You can, of course, buy a very good image editor, such as Adobe Photoshop or the less expensive yet full-featured PaintShop Pro but there are many freeware alternatives that can do virtually anything you need. Paint.net or Picasa are good for most editing or you could try the freeware Photoshop alternative GIMP, but the learning curve, especially after using Photoshop, is higher and it's not as intuitive. Chances are your computer already has a good image editor installed - Windows Live Photo Gallery, iPhoto, which is part of Apple's iLife suite or Shotwell, included with Ubuntu Linux.

Printing Your Photos:

No matter how good your pictures look on the computer, at some point you'll want to either display them or give them to someone else. Most inkjet printers can print good photos with the right kind of photo paper, but if you want your enlargements to last you may want to invest in an archival photo printer, such as the Epson PictureMate or the Epson Stylus R2000. For convenience and some cost savings, home printing can't be beat, but for lots of smaller prints, such as 4x6s, it's much cheaper to send them to a drugstore or chain store photo lab. If you do your own printing, though some might disagree, it's usually best to stick with your printer manufacturer's ink rather than try to save a little money by using generics.

Storing and Protecting Your Images:

There are nearly as many ways to lose or damage your images as there are to take them, so it is extremely important to protect your analog (film) images and back up your digital files. Original negatives and transparencies should be kept in archival protective pages and stored in a dark, cool place free from excessive humidity and temperature changes. If possible, all important images should have digital copies made and the originals placed in a fire- and water-proof safe. You can scan photos and film yourself or have it done at many photo labs, which might get expensive if you have lots of film to convert. Some scanners are only for prints but others, such as the Canon CanoScan 9000F (prints and 35mm film) and the Epson Perfection V600 (prints, 35mm & medium format film), can also scan slides and negatives.

Digital images, either original or scanned, are far easier to protect and every copy is exactly as good as the original digital file. Once your digital images are on your computer (they are now on your computer, aren't they? Please don't leave them on a flash card without backing them up!) you can organize, edit and save them in any way you like, then either use good backup software, such as Acronis True Image, to regularly back up your entire hard drive to an external drive or use a cloud backup system for the same purpose. Alternatively, you can back up only the images, possibly to a flash drive, or burn them to CDs or better yet, archival CDs. Ideally, you should use more than one of these methods and maintain more than one backup in more than one location - backup your computer at least once per week, burn critical images to CDs and keep these and your original film in a safe and CD copies in a safety deposit box. It would be hard to have too many backups of something so important. In fact, it's also a good idea to take photos of everything important in every room of your house and scan important documents, then burn these images to a separate CD or store them on a separate flash drive to keep in your safety deposit box in case of emergencies. However, DO NOT keep scans of identifying documents, such as birth certificates, Social Security cards or tax returns in any place that might leave you open to identity theft.

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